Libero

What is it about the early 2000s that football finds so fascinating? Why is the game still so captivated by the career paths and podcast empires of the principal characters from an era that is now a generation past? On today’s Libero, Rory Smith, Tariq Panja and Jonathan Wilson try to answer that question, and also work out whether Pep Guardiola has the power to stop time.Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at liberopodcast0@gmail.comFollow us on X @podcast_liberoFollow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram @liberopodSubscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Libero today, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jonathan Wilson, John Brewin and Miguel Delaney consider the Tottenham Hotspur odyssey as Ange Postecoglou faces down his near-certain fate. Can any Spurs manager succeed under the current ownership structure? Has the “Glory Game” been sacrificed for the security of a profitable business? And later in the show, the gang consider English football’s north-south divide: how come the Premier League’s upwardly mobile middle class are from Greater London and the Home Counties rather than Yorkshire and Lancashire? Is it really just about airports?  Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at liberopodcast0@gmail.comFollow us on X @podcast_liberoFollow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram @liberopodSubscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Libero today, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith, John Brewin and Tariq Panja ask whatever happened to the lost generation of footballers born in the second half of the 1990s? They should be at their peak now, dominating the global game. And yet it feels as if football belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for so long that they will ultimately be replaced by the Gen Z players, born in the 21st century.Later on the show they discuss the 'cult of the pundit' in English football, whereby Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville are now far more famous than they ever were as players, setting the news agenda with their every word. How have they managed to become so big?Email in at liberopodcast0@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Libero today, Jonathan Wilson, James Horncastle, Miguel Delaney and Tariq Panja discuss the new Champions League format. Is it better than what came before? Were there really more surprises? And what tweaks would they like to see.Then they discuss whether a football club can have a DNA — something that for better or worse, often intangible, that makes the club what it is, and explains why Sunderland will not win the playoffs.Email us at: liberopodcast0@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Libero today, Jack Pitt-Brooke, James Horncastle, John Brewin and Jonathan Wilson discuss whether or not the 2024-25 season has been good or not. What do we mean when we talk about a good season? How do we find the right balance between quality, competitiveness and drama? Then they discuss why football journalists can never get as angry about referees and PGMOL as fans do, and hear why the cult of the celebrity referee actually started in Italy. Email us at: liberopodcast0@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Libero today, Jonathan Liew, Miguel Delaney, Rory Smith and Jonathan Wilson discuss whether elite football is trying to do away with fans, whether it is OK that Chelsea sold their own women's team to themselves, and discover that Jonathan Wilson knows who Angry Ginge is. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Libero 4 with Jack Pitt-Brooke, James Horncastle, Jonathan Wilson and John Brewin covers Trent's 'defection', some reflections on classic transfer market shenanigans and the FA Cup - has Wembley really lost it's mythological status?Trent AA (02:30) FA Cup (35:30) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How should journalists report Trump's World Cup? Are expectations for Slot's Liverpool unfair?.. and the weird world of the Sports Journalism awards.Today's Liberi are Tariq Panja, Miguel Delaney and Barney Ronay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode two of Libero discusses Thomas Tuchel's chances as the German England football manager (02:00) and the rise of the 'middle class' of well run Premier League clubs (18:42)The Liberi: Jonathan Wilson, Rory Smith, John Brewin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Libero. The first episode includes a segment on the Geordie Nation and Saudi sportwashing (06:15) and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's grand vision (41:01)Today's Liberi are Miguel Delaney, Jonathan Liew, Barney Ronay and John Brewin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.